How to cook pork brains

In France, pork brains are considered a delicacy, and many of our compatriots tasted them. However, many housewives still refer to this by-product with disdain or even fastidiousness, bypass them. The main problem is that not all of them know how to properly process and cook pork brains, for which dishes to use them. This by-product is considered tasty if it is fried or baked. Boiled brains can be used for salad, pate. Stewed in sour cream or with vegetables, they are also tender and tasty. The ability to cook them tasty will significantly diversify the family menu, especially since the above product is relatively inexpensive.

Cooking Features

Before deciding whether to cook pork brains, it does not hurt to learn about their beneficial and harmful properties. This product contains a significant amount of protein, valuable macro - and micronutrients, especially it is rich in iron, phosphorus and potassium. It also contains a lot of B vitamins, which are responsible for the conversion of fats and carbohydrates into energy. In this case, the energy value of the product is not too high - about 120 kcal.

However, the product is not recommended for people who are overweight, suffering from hypertension, gout, atherosclerosis and cholecystitis. This is due to the fact that the brain contains a lot of cholesterol, which negatively affects the state of the blood vessels.

If you and your loved ones do not have contraindications to the use of pork brains, you should get acquainted with the taste of this delicacy. Especially since it is inexpensive, it is prepared quickly, unless you count the time spent in the preparatory stage. A culinary experiment will surely be crowned with success if you know and take a few moments into account.

Brains are best purchased fresh and chilled: they are most tasty, but stored in the refrigerator for no more than 48 hours. Such a product is purchased, if you are going to cook it on the same day, maximum - the next. Most often, pig brains are bought frozen. If they are thawed properly, they will retain all their properties. Defrosting offal by-products in natural conditions, without a temperature difference is considered correct. You should not try to speed up the process with warm water or a microwave, the product should be allowed to thaw in the refrigerator.
When purchasing pork brains, pay attention to the expiration date, package integrity. If there is an opportunity to assess the state of the brain itself, it is important to know that they must be covered with a film, have no damage and blood clots - such a product is considered the highest quality.
Before cooking, the brains are washed under running water, holding in their hands to remove blood clots. They are then soaked for 2 hours in cold water, which needs to be changed periodically. This will save them from blood clots, improve their organoleptic qualities. Some cooks reduce the time of soaking the brain to 1-1.5 hours, but they do it in water mixed with vinegar (a tablespoon of 9% vinegar per 1 liter of water). If you resort to this method, then you need to be prepared for the fact that the product will acquire a slightly harsh smell.
After soaking, the brain must be washed again, then peeled off the film. To make it better off, the product can be doused with boiling water. You need to remove the film from the center to the edges, otherwise pieces of by-product may begin to fall off.
Brains can be boiled, braised, baked, roasted. Boil brains are recommended entirely, otherwise you risk getting a shapeless mass. Boil the product in salted and sometimes even in slightly acidified water, often with the addition of spices and fragrant roots. Bake the product usually after it has been boiled. Fry and brain can be whole or cut into pieces.

Brains can be used to make pies and salads, you can cook soup with them. Fried, baked and braised brains are served as a hot snack with or without garnish.

Cooking time

The cooking time of pig brains depends on the way they are cooked and on whether they are used whole or cut into pieces.

Cook pork brains 10-15 minutes after boiling water in a saucepan. Cooking time in a multicooker is 20-30 minutes (depending on the power of the unit).
Roast brains too, 10-15 minutes: 10 minutes is enough, if the brains are sliced, it will take 15 minutes to roast whole brains.
Brainning should be 15-25 minutes in a frying pan, 30-40 minutes in a slow cooker. The exact time depends on the size of the pieces, the capacity of the multicooker. If the brains are boiled beforehand, the quenching time can be reduced.
They bake their brains after boiling, so the preparation time of the food depends on how long the other products are baked.

They do not use a pressure cooker for making brains, since it will not give a significant time saving.

Observing the correct preparation time of the pork brain, you can be sure that they will definitely be brought to readiness and at the same time not digested.

Boiled Pig Brains

Caloric content of a dish: 627 kcal, caloric content per 100 g: 126 kcal.

Composition:

pork brains - 0.5 kg;
water - 2 liters (not counting consumption for soaking);
table vinegar (9 percent) - 20 ml (can be less or completely eliminated);
salt - to taste;
bay leaf - 2 pcs .;
Allspice - 5 pcs.

Method of preparation:

Rinse your brains, put them in a bowl. Fill with cold water. Soak your brains for 2 hours, replacing the water with clean water every half hour.
Rinse the pork by-product again, return to the bowl, pour in boiling water, then drain it immediately.
Clear the brain of the film, starting from the center. Put them in the pan.
Fill offal with clean water, add laurel leaf, pepper, salt. If you want to give the brain a more pleasant taste, add a spoonful of vinegar to the water (but this ingredient is optional).
Put the pan on the stove, over medium heat bring the contents of the pan to a boil.
Turn down the heat, cover the pan with a lid. Boil brains for 15 minutes.
Throw off the brains in a colander.

After the boiled brains have cooled down a bit, they can be ground in accordance with the recommendations in the recipe for which you make the main course of them, and use them for their intended purpose.

Pork brains in a slow cooker

Caloric content of the dish: 892 kcal, caloric value per 100 g: 93 kcal.

Composition:

pork brains - 0.5 kg;
water - 0, 25 l (not counting the consumption for soaking);
onions - 150-200 g;
refined vegetable or butter - 20-30 g;
salt, spices - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Rinse the brain, soak it for 2 hours in cold water, not forgetting to change it periodically.
Rinse the pork by-product again, pour boiling water over it and clean the film.
Cut the brains in small pieces, put in the bowl of the slow cooker.
Free onions from the husk, cut into small cubes. Add half of the onion to the brain.
Place a laurel leaf on top. Salt and pepper products to taste.
Pour a glass of water into the bowl.
Turn on the unit by selecting the “Quenching” program. Set the timer for 30 minutes.
After the indicated time, remove the brains from the multicooker bowl, decant the excess liquid, remove the laurel sheet.
Put the brains in a jug of a blender or in a mixing jar if you grind them with an immersion blender.
Wash and dry wipe the multicooker bowl, set in place. Put the butter in the bowl. Turn on the device by selecting the program “Frying” or “Baking”. Wait for the butter to melt, add the onion and fry it until golden brown. You can fry onions in a frying pan, while brains are stewed.
Place fried onions to the brain, grind foods to a state of pate.

It remains to put the pate in the form and cool, removing it for several hours in the refrigerator.

Pork braised stewed in sour cream with onions and carrots

Caloric content of the dish: 1310 kcal, caloric value per 100 g: 106 kcal.

Composition:

pork brains - 0.5 kg;
water - how much will leave;
carrots - 100 g;
onions - 100 g;
flour - 40 g;
sour cream - 0, 25 l;
refined vegetable oil - how much will go;
table vinegar (9 percent) - 20 ml;
salt, spices - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Wash your brains, put them in a bowl. 1-1, 5 liters of water mix with a tablespoon of vinegar, pour the brains with the resulting solution. Leave on 1, 5 hours.
Wash your brains and gently peel off the covering film.
Put the brains in a saucepan, cover with water so that it covers them completely, add salt. Put on the stove, bring the water to a boil and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Drain, cut brains into medium-sized pieces. Roll them in flour.
Scrape, wash carrots. Drain it with a napkin, chop on a grater with medium-sized holes.
Free the onions from the peel, cut into thin half-rings.
Heat the oil in a pan, put the vegetables in it and fry. It is necessary to fry vegetables until the onions have acquired a golden hue.
Remove the vegetables from the pan. Put brains in flour in their place, fry until golden brown.
Mix sour cream with roasted vegetables, salt and pepper. Put it in the pan with the brains.
Cover the pan with a lid, reduce heat under the pan and simmer the brains for 10-15 minutes.

Brains stewed in sour cream are served as a hot snack. You can add them to vegetable stews, mashed potatoes or pasta.

Fried pork brains

Caloric content of the dish: 859 kcal, caloric value per 100 g: 128 kcal.

Composition:

pork brains - 0.5 kg;
wheat flour - 60-80 g;
salt, pepper - to taste;
refined vegetable oil - how much will go;
water - to soak the brain.

Method of preparation:

Brains, after washing and soaking for 2 hours in cool water, rinse again, peeling off the films, and let them dry.
Sift flour, mix with pepper and salt. Brain flour in brains.
Heat oil in a pan, put brains on it. Roast them for 15 minutes, turning the spatula from time to time so that they are roasted evenly. When frying the brain will produce a lot of foam, you do not need to be afraid of this, this is normal.
Put the roasted brains on a napkin, let it soak up the excess oil.

It’s advisable to serve fried brains with a side dish of vegetables, green peas. Outwardly, they look like chops, but have a unique taste.

Baked Pig Brains

Caloric content of the dish: 1088 kcal, caloric content per 100 g: 113 kcal.

Composition:

pork brains - 0.5 kg;
onions - 150 g;
refined vegetable oil - 20 ml;
milk - 60 ml;
chicken egg - 2 pcs .;
salt, spices - to taste;
water - how much will leave;
table vinegar (9 percent) - 20 ml.

Method of preparation:

Pork brains, after washing, pour water, acidified with vinegar, leave for half an hour. Rinse again, peel off the films, cover with clean water, add salt, boil until ready, fold in a colander.
Lubricate baking molds or ceramic pots with oil and put boiled brains in them.
Onions, peeled from the peel, cut into small pieces, pour in their brains.
Mix eggs with salt, pepper and milk, whisk together.
Fill the brains with egg mixture.
Put the fireproof brain container in the oven. Turn it on. Wait until the temperature in the oven reaches 200 degrees and cook the food at this temperature for 20-30 minutes.

The brains baked in eggs can be served as an independent dish. If you supplement it with a salad of fresh vegetables, guests and households probably will not be upset with you.

Pork Brain Soup

Caloric content of the dish: 1311 kcal, caloric value per 100 g: 57 kcal.

Composition:

pork brains - 0.5 kg;
water - how much will leave;
celery root - 100 g;
carrots - 0, 2 kg;
cream with fat content of 10% - 0, 5 l;
fresh parsley - for serving;
salt, pepper - to taste.

Method of preparation:

Clean swabs of moistened pigs from films, boil until ready in salted water, cool.
Peel carrots and celery. Cut them into small cubes.
Boil 1 l of pure water, dip the vegetables in it, boil until soft. Add sliced brains and boil all together for another 5 minutes.
Grind the soup to puree with a blender, dilute with cream, add salt and pepper to taste.
Bring the soup to a boil, but do not boil.

When serving soup to the table, sprinkle it with chopped parsley, then it will become even more fragrant and appetizing.

Pork brains do not often appear on the table of our fellow citizens, whereas in many other countries they are considered a delicacy. The reason is the inability to cook this meat by-product. Knowing how to boil, bake or fry pork brains correctly will make the family menu much richer and more varied.

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